Ceremonies & Cocktail Hours
Processional, recessional, and background music while guests arrive.
A ceremony needs music for the processional, music underneath the quiet stretches, and music for the recessional. Solo acoustic guitar and vocals cover all three in a courtyard, on a waterfront lawn, or in a hotel ballroom, at whatever volume the space calls for.
Cocktail hour uses the same setup. Guests are greeting each other and finding their tables, so the music stays at conversation level: mostly Frank Sinatra and '50s classics, with easy classic rock, Motown, and R&B mixed in.
Dave plays private events across Fort Myers, Naples, Cape Coral, Sanibel, Marco Island, Bonita Springs, and Punta Gorda, at waterfront venues, hotels, restaurants, and homes.
Receptions & Parties
Dinner sets and dance sets from the same songbook.
Wedding Receptions
Dinner gets standards at a volume people can talk over. Later the same night gets classic rock, Motown, and 2000s hits with the room singing along. One performer and one songbook means that change can happen whenever the room is ready for it.
Anniversaries
An anniversary party usually has three generations in the room. The songbook covers all of them: Sinatra and '50s classics, country & western and classic rock, pop and 2000s hits.
Birthdays & Milestones
Backyard parties, retirement celebrations, graduations, holiday get-togethers. The same setup works on a patio or in a clubhouse, and requests keep the night pointed at whoever the party is for.
Private Gatherings
Rehearsal dinners, welcome parties, engagement parties, and the smaller nights around a bigger weekend. Tell Dave what the evening is for and he'll plan the set around it.
How Requests Work
Requests, must-play lists, and do-not-play lists.
Dave's songbook runs to more than 1,000 songs available by request, spanning Frank Sinatra, '50s classics, classic rock, country & western, Motown, R&B, pop, and 2000s hits. Guests are welcome to request from it all night.
Couples are welcome to send a must-play list and a do-not-play list ahead of the date. Dave works from both, and you don't need to explain the do-not-plays.
If there's a specific song you're hoping for and you're not sure whether it's in the book, mention it in your inquiry and Dave will let you know.
- Frank Sinatra
- '50s Classics
- Classic Rock
- Country & Western
- Motown
- R&B
- Pop
- 2000s Hits
Why Solo Acoustic Works
What the format does well at a private event.
Guests at a private event came to see each other. A few reasons solo acoustic suits that:
- It fits the space. A courtyard, a patio, a private dining room, a clubhouse. Solo acoustic works in rooms that can't accommodate a full band.
- Volume is set to the room. Background level during dinner, louder later. Guests can hold a conversation when they want one.
- The set list is decided live. One performer reading the crowd can change direction mid-set.
- It covers the whole evening. Ceremony, cocktail hour, dinner, and dancing, all from one performer and one songbook.
Experience
Dave J is a live performer with over 30 years on stage, originally from the Philadelphia and South Jersey area and now based in Southwest Florida. He has performed at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Atlantic City's House of Blues, Cooper River Park, and the Scottish Rite Auditorium, and has opened for The Eagles, Paul Simon & Sting, Little Feat, Peter Noone's Herman's Hermits, and Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes, including an opening performance at the SWFL Event Center in Bonita Springs in 2020.
At a private event, that means music that starts on time, plays at the right volume, and follows the room. Read the full bio →
Check Your Date
Tell Dave what the event is, where it is, and what you want the night to sound like. He'll follow up about the date.